Chapter 100: The Fanatical Minister Moves in the Shadows
Prince Rodel and his two retainers advanced across the vast plain. Rodel, seemingly oblivious to his surroundings, pressed forward with determination. However, if he continued on this path, he would soon step into the depths of the plain—specifically, the territory of the Magical Beast Sabnock, the ruler of this land.
“Honestly… that foolish prince is going to get himself into trouble,” a man sighed from a distance, observing Rodel.
He was a middle-aged man cloaked in black, hidden among the trees scattered across the plain. Using illusion magic at times, he silently trailed behind Rodel.
(The King is right to worry… He’s about to step into the Demon Realm. In a way, it makes my job as a watcher worthwhile.)
This man was one of the court magicians, a subordinate of the King and Rodel’s father. Since Rodel had declared his intention to participate in the Monster Hunting Festival, he had been sent as a watcher to ensure the prince did not cause any trouble.
(And, as expected, he’s heading straight for the restricted area… He never fails to disappoint in the worst way.)
If Rodel continued on his current course, he would inevitably enter Sabnock’s territory, provoking the enormous magical beast that had decimated pioneering groups time and again—a situation that must be avoided at all costs.
(I almost wish I could use Rodel as bait for the monsters… but that’s not an option.)
The watching magician sighed again. The King had neither disposed of Rodel nor confined him to the palace because the prince was a significant source of potential conflict. If anything were to happen to Rodel, the Queen Dowager’s faction or neighboring nations could take action. The King was cautious, uncertain of the repercussions Rodel’s death might bring.
“For now… I suppose I should stop that foolish prince.”
If things continued as they were, Rodel would soon cross into forbidden territory. He needed to be halted before that happened, even if it required force. The watcher prepared to step out from behind the tree where he had been concealed, intending to confront Rodel.
“That cannot be allowed.”
However, before the watcher could reveal himself, a chilling voice echoed from a disturbingly close distance.
“Wh-…!?”
Startled by the whisper at his ear, the watcher instinctively braced himself, but before he could react, a blow struck the back of his neck. A powerful jolt surged from his neck to his brain, rendering him voiceless as he collapsed to the ground.
“Cough…”
Lying on the ground, the watcher coughed weakly. Struggling to muster his strength, he lifted his head and found a familiar face standing before him.
“You are… Marquis Aiger…!”
Berlio Aiger, Rodel’s guardian and a leading figure in the Queen Dowager’s faction, stood there. Once a renowned magician in his youth, he had effortlessly taken the watcher by surprise.
“How… could you be here…?”
“To be caught off guard by an old man like me, the standard of the court magicians has certainly declined. And you intend to stop the prince? Just a mere magician?”
Aiger looked down at the fallen watcher, disdain dripping from his words. His vacant eyes glimmered with an unsettling light, reflecting a madness that seemed to peer into an abyss beyond reality.
“To obstruct the will of Prince Rodel, favored by our beloved Queen Dowager, is an act of disrespect. A mere subject of the King should know their place.”
“You must be joking… Do you intend to defy the King…?”
“The King is of no concern to me. Everything that man says is absolute. To oppose him is unforgivable!”
As he uttered these fanatical words, Aiger raised his hand. A towering ice pillar, about a meter long, materialized in his grasp. He aimed the sharp tip of the ice pillar at the fallen man, his lips trembling with anticipation.
“All is as the great Queen Dowager desires…”
“Stop…”
Without mercy, Aiger brought the ice pillar crashing down. A wet, sickening sound echoed as crimson splattered across Aiger’s face. The man’s body slackened, and a dark red stain spread across the ground.
“Now, Prince Rodel. Please, act as you wish. In accordance with the will of the Queen Dowager. Everything is destined to fall into place…”
Aiger wore a blissful smile, his gaze drifting away from the lifeless man to a point in the distance. There, Rodel, accompanied by his two retainers, walked deeper into the plain, unaware of the watcher’s fate. As he watched Rodel’s retreating figure, Aiger deeply bowed, lowering his head in reverence.